This tool serves prevention specialists that want to establish positive relationships with hispanic, latino, or latinx populations and those who are already working with this population and want to improve their cultural humility. The goal of this product is to help lessen the barriers that prevention specialists and latino populations may face when discussing substance misuse and addiction. Covered in this tool are geography of hispanic and latino populations within New England, linguistics to consider, risk and protective factors, and New England state specific resources for people who identify as hispanic, latino, or latinx with whom prevention specialists may want to connect. This tool was written in the fall of 2022, during a time of increasing cultural awareness and humility which, when incorporated into all aspects of life, will benefit everyone.

This resource is specific to the New England region which includes Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. This tool speaks to some specific cultural aspects of Hispanic, Latino, or Latinx people, discussed further in the Linguistic section.

From the Author:

As someone who identifies as Puerto Rican, and who has a passion for advancing health equity for minority populations, I wanted to create this resource to further knowledge of the complexities of hispanic, latino, latina, and latinx people for the prevention workforce in New England.

Growing up I watched family members struggling with substance misuse and addiction be negatively affected by a lack of understanding in care settings about the diversities between hispanic and latino subgroups. I hope that by increasing knowledge about these differences, I can contribute to the reduction of health disparities in the prevention portion of behavioral health.

-Rhetta Vega